Uniform pressure upon the pumping-piston of double



NPEYERS. PHOTc-LITMOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. c. CA

METHOD 0F EFFECTING UNIFORM PRESSURE UPON 'II-IE PUIVIPINGr-PISTON OF DOUBLE- ACTING STEAM-PUMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,070, dated June 10, 1856.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. GoRsUoH, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Reciprocating Pumps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical section of my improved pump, the plane of section being through the suction and force valves and passages. Fig. 2, is also a vertical section of ditto, the plane of section being at right angles to that of Fig. 1, and passing through the st-atic balance chamber and passages, and also through the steam valve and passages. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section of ditto, oa, x Figs. 1, and 2, being the line of section. Fig. 4, is a plan of the steam cylinder and steam valve chest.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in the employment of a static balance chamber and a secondary or supplementary piston or plunger, ar-

ranged and applied to the pump and operating 1n connection therewith, whereby a reg ular and uniform movement of the working parts is obtained, resulting in a steady flow of water through the main.

A, Figs. l, 2 and 4, represents a steam cylinder and B, Fig. 2, is a piston which works therein. C, is the piston rod and D, is the steam valve of the cylinder A. The above parts are in common use and require no particular description.

E, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is the outer casing of the pump, having a stuffing box F, at its upper end through which the piston rod C, works. The steam cylinder is secured to the casing E by rods or studs Gr, see Figs. 1 and 2. This casing is divided perpendicularly into the compartments H, H, and H, see Fig. 1, by suction valves and seats I, I', and the force valves and seats J, J', which are secured in their proper position by keys K, K, through hand holes in the side of the casing E, provided for that purpose.

The compartment H of the casing E, see Fig. 1, communicates with the suction pipe L, and the compartment H, with the force or eduction pipe M. The central compartment of this outer casing thus formed, is

divided horizontally at or near its center, by a diaphragm N, see Figs. 1 and 2, in which is secured a ring and follower O, O', suitable for hemp or other packing.

P, is a plunger attached to the lower end of the piston rod C, and working water tight through the packing pressed between the ring and follower O, O.

Q, Figs. 2 and 3 is a chamber secured upon one side of the casing E, and communicating with the central compartment H above the diaphragm N, by. the opening or passage (a) Figs. 2 and 3, and below the diaphragm by the opening 7J, see Fig. 2. Near the upper end of this chamber and between the two openings, a, and b, are two horizontal diaphragms o, c, see Fig. 2, forming a secondary chamber d; within this chamber and through these two diaphragms, works a secondary piston or plunger c, see Figs. 2 and 3, fitting snugly within openings bored for the purpose and cutting ofi' all communication between the two ends of the chamber Q. Through this secondary piston passes a rod f, see Figs. 2 and 3, on which the piston is firmly secured by nuts g, g, see Fig. 2. Moving freely upon this rod f, are two valves h, L, see Fig. 2, one above and the other below the piston e, playing upon the exterior surfaces of the diaphragms c, c, as seats, the lower one being sustained by a spring z'. Through these valves may be drilled one or more holes of small diameter, say one-eighth of an inch or it may be formed in practice that the play between them and the rod upon which they move will be suflioient for the purpose to be hereinafter described. The rod f, Fig. 2, is extended downward sufficiently far to allow the arm R, which is secured to the plunger P, and moves with it to play between the stops j, j', on the rod f, and it is extended upward through the stufling box 7c, and united with the steam valve rod Z.

It would answer all purposes of operation equally as well, were this rod f, and the steam valve rod Z, one and the same; they are made two for the purposes of convenience and economy. The nuts m, m, at their junction are to facilitate the adjustment of the steam valve D, and secondary piston e, or regulate th-e lead depending upon the lap of both valves, which may however be made at the steam valve D, or the pistone.

S, Fig. 2 is the static balance chamber communicating with the space d, between the two diaphragms c, c. For the proper operation of the machine when applied to hydraulic purposes, the upper portion of the chamber S, should contain air, the lower, water; should the air waste by absorption or leakage it may readily be supplied through a pet cock opening anywhere into the lower division T, Figs. l and 2, of the central compartment H of the casing E. Air taken in during the upward motion of the plunger will, by its own levity, find its way over th-evalve L, Fig. 2, and past the piston e, to the chamber S at the termination of the stroke. The valve It, Fig. 2 above the piston e, is so constructed that it may, by the catches 0, 0, Fig. 2, be operated upon through the crank wheel U, see Fig. 3, in such a manner as to prevent its coming in contact with its seat. When this is the case, sufficient fluid will pass under it during the upward stroke of the plunger to give the required supply to the static balance chamber S, and maintain within it the requisite pressure,-said supply depending as will be hereafter shown upon the speed of the engine, being only required at very high velocit-ies.

The valve L, below the piston e, may be used instead of the one above, or both may act, although in the construction of engine described, I prefer the arrangement first designated. l/Vhen however, the static balance chamber is supplied from a source independent of the engine, as it may be with economy, when convenient, each of the valves AL., zf, will under all circumstances come to their seats as will be described, when the engine is assumed to be moving at its minimum speed.

Operation: The plunger I), is moved up and down by the action of the steam upon the piston B within the cylinder A, in the usual manner. Then the plunger is forced downward in the lower division T of the compartment I-I of the casing E see Fig. 1, the water underneath the plunger which was drawn up during the preceding upward movement of the plunger, is forced through the valves J into the compartment I-I and out of the force or eductlon pipe M. The suction valves I on the opposite side, of course being closed by the pressure against them. Meanwhile, as the plunger descends, the valves I above the plunger are opened by the suction or vacuum formed by the descent of the plunger, the water from the pipe L, rushes into the cylinders above the plunger and the opposite valves J, are closed, see arrows, Fig. l. "When the plunger moves upward in the pump cylinder, the position of the valves is reversed, the valves I above the plunger being closed by the pressure of the fluid within, the valves J, opened and the water forced out through the pipe M. This action will be readily understood as it is common to all double acting pumps,

In the ordinary direct act-ing pump the diiiiculty encountered in moving the steam valve, has been when the motion of the engine was so slow, that the momentum of the moving parts was not sufiicient to carry the steam valve the full distance through which it should pass, so that at each succeeding stroke the motion of the valve is less and less, the result being that the velocity of the moving parts decreases as the steam is withdrawn the valve finally rests on the center covering both induction ports and the engine stops. The above diiiculty it will be remembered has ordinarily been met by using means to throw the steam valve suddenly before the completion of t-he stroke, or before the plunger reverses, causing shocks and concussions. It is remedied by my improvement as follows: Take, for instance, the downward stroke after the steam valve has been moved by the ordinary action of the machine as before described, the arm R Fig. 2 having been brought in contact with the stop j at the lower end of the rod f, and thus forced the steam valve D partially across the ports, carrying with it the secondary piston e, the engine of course reverses, the upper division V, of the compartment H', Fig. 2 becoming the forcing end and that below, the suction. The water immediately inds its way through the holes in the valve 71., or around the rod f, and acting upon the piston e, its opposite end being exposed to the suction, forces it downward until its upper end passes the diaphragm c, and comes within the action of the static balance chamber S, which then continues the valve e rapidly, by this means moving the steam valve the full distance through which it should pass after the engine has reversed, thus securing the most perfect valve motion obtainable in the best constructed steam engine, by quietly supplying the motion at each successive stroke not obtained at the termination of the preceding one in consequence of insufficient force or momentum in the moving parts. When the motion of the engine is so slow as has been just described, there is no diiiiculty in obtaining a full charge in the suction, and as there has been no discharge from the static balance chamber S', it needs no supply.

When the engine is moving at its maximum speed, the diiiiculty does not then exist in obtaining a positive action of the steam valve but in preventing its being too impulsive. The momentum of the moving parts, together with that of the column of water, or discharge, when not broken by an elastic medium, carries the steam valve sufciently far, but the great speed of the piston prevents the water filling the suction end of the pump, before the engine reverses, when the reversing takes place, the returning plunger moves with greatly accelerated speed, although the distance be Very short, checked instantaneously by the solid water meeting the rapid current coming in through the suction valves and throwing a portion back through them before they reach their seats which they do with a blow, and the force valves being still closed, the whole power of the engine comes upon them so suddenly that at their opening and driving of water through them into the forcing chamber, there is imparted a shock that is felt severely throughout the whole machine and extends frequently much farther. This is remedied by my improvement as follows: The steam Valve D Fig. 2 and all its connections including the piston e, instead of being left where they were at the termination of the stroke when the engine was moving at its minimum speed are carried so far that the piston e, passes the diaphragm c, and opens a communication between the suction end of the pump and the static balance chamber S, Fig. 2. The water occupying the lower portion of said chamber being acted upon by the compressed air in the upper portion, or by any elastic diaphragm, instantly rushes through the opening thus made, in the direction of the arrow (n), presses back the valve h, fills up the vacuous space in the pump chamber, closes the suction valves I, prepares the force valves J for opening, and thus, when the engine reverses, everything being prepared, it takes up its load quietly. The water having ceased to flow from the chamber S, the valve h, resumes its seat. This operation is repeated at the termination of each stroke of the engine. The water thus abstracted from the chamber S, may be supplied in either of the modes before described. There is thus no acceleration of motion either at the beginning or end of the stroke, but a regular and uniform velocity throughout, resulting in a steady flow of water through the main and an exemption from all irregularities embodying the best results attainable by the rotary, coupled with exemption from difficulties which inevitably exist in the best forms of that construction, in a more durable and cheap form.

I do no-t restrict myself to the form of engine shown in the accompanying drawings, although I consider the best results are attainable in that mode of construction, but with the proper modication of water valves and passages, it may work in any required position.

My improvement may be applied with beneficial results to all forms of reciprocating pumps. It is not only applicable to hydraulic purposes, but may be used advantageously as a blast engine, or in the capacity of an air pump, the valves in both cases being adapted to said uses.

I disclaim effecting a connection between the water on both sides of the piston or plunger, or between either end of the pump cylinder and the forcing main above the force valves, except through said valves in the ordinary action of the machine, at any time or for any purposes whatever. Neither do I claim operating the steam valve in direct acting steam pumps by a secondary piston, as they have been used in various combinations for that purpose, but

What I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

The secondary piston e, in combination with the pump cylinder, depending for its action upon the static balance chamber S, and the reverse motion of the pump plunger, combined or either separately, for attaining the end in View, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

R. B. GORSUCH.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. BUCKLEY, WM. TUSCH. 

